Can Life Be Any Greater?
by Caroline Lucky Conlon
Summary: LucyofNarnia and Austra Contest: Racetrack makes a mistake. A big one. Do you wanna know what that mistake is? Well, it's telling a little boy that Santa isn't real.


_**Hello every one and happy holidays. I am writing this one for another contest I entered for LucyofNarnia and Austra. Please enjoy and leave me reviews(:they will be much appreciated!**_

_**Could Life Be Any Greater?**_

"Do you think Santa will come if it isn't snowy outside? Cause the past years it has been snowing and Santa had come then so I don't know if he will come this year." Tumbler asked looking out the window. I rolled my eyes and went back to reading my newspaper. "What do you think Race?" he pushed down my newspaper. _God kid, leave me alone for Christ sake! _

"Tumbler, I don't knows, now I'm trying to read something, so go ask Caroline or Skittery or someone besides me." He pouted as he walked back over to the window. I rolled my eyes again and went back to my paper for the second time. _New Ellis…__ "_Jingle bells, jingle bells…" I shook my head, I was hearing things. _New Ellis Island…_"Jingle all the way." I looked over my paper to see Tumbler singing._ Its okay Race, just ignore it. _I looked back down at the headline._New Ellis Island Station Costs 1.5 million… _"In a one horse open sleigh!"

I threw my paper down and shot up. I bolted over to the window and picked Tumbler up and shook him. "Shut up kid! Just shut up, you're driving me insane!" I yelled still shaking him.

"I'm sorry, it's just Santa…" he said in a small voice.

"Santa? Santa?" I put him down. "That's rich kid because there is no such thing as Santa Clause!" He put his head down. "Now, get out of my space!" I yelled in his face. He got up and ran out of the room. I let out a sigh, and sat back down, finally relaxing.

"RACETRACK!" a voice boomed from a room upstairs.

_Uh oh, I'm in trouble._

* * *

"You told Tumbler there was no Santa Clause?" Caroline asked. She was pacing in front of me as I was sitting on her bed staring at my hands. "Well, I'm waiting Tony."

"Well, I just told him the truth Caroline, I mean he is getting to old to believe." I mumbled.

"He is only seven years old!" she shook my shoulders. "Just because you were younger than Tumbler when you found out Santa Clause wasn't real, doesn't mean you have to ruin it for him."

"I know Caroline! But…"

"But what, Racetrack?" she let go of my shoulders. "There is no but with this." She headed over to her window. "Okay, Race, I got an idea. Cause I really don't want to, you know, have to kick you out."

"I'm your brother, you can't kick me out! It's not like I committed treason and traded secrets with Queens or somethin'." I stood up.

"Sit down," she said not taking her stare away from the window. I sat back down on her bed. " I have an idea." She paused. "Make him believe there is a Santa again and you can stay." She turned back towards me smirking.

"Oh right." I started to laugh. "And how exactly am I going to do that?" she smacked me across the face lightly. "What was that for?" holding my cheek.

"I don't care how you do it Race, just do it." She crossed her arms and stuck out her hips.

_

* * *

__How am I going to do this! I haven't believed in Santa since I was like five…or was it four?_ I let out a load groan as I fell back onto my bottom bunk and rested my arm over my head. "I hate my life!" I yelled.

"Well, that's nice to say about yourself." I moved my arm from my head to see Kloppman leaning on my bed post. "May I sit?" I sat up and nodded my head. He settled himself at the edge of my bed, ducking slightly to avoid hitting his head. "So, what is with all of the complaining?"

"It's just…I told Tumbler Santa wasn't… real…" he gasped.

"Why in the world would you say something like that to a little kid?" he asked.

"I don't know!" I rubbed my eyes. "He was just annoying me and I said it…" Kloppman shook his head. "And then Caroline had to go and be a…." he gave me a glance. "Jerk and told me _I _had to make him believe again. Can youse believe that?"

"Actually, out of Caroline, yes." He rubbed his beard.

"Great, no one is on my side, always hers!" I crossed my arms and pouted.

"No Racetrack," he put a loving hand on my knee. "Its just… Caroline brings up a good point."

"And that would be what exactly?" I asked.

"That every child should have something to look forward to every year. I mean they need something to be happy, after everything they have been through." I bit my lip. "That's all Caroline wants to do, to give the kids a chance to well…"

"Be kids." I whispered. He smiled and stood up and walked out of the room. Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into my head. "I got it!" I bolted straight up and hit my head. "Gosh dang it." I rubbed my head as I stood up and ran out of the room. I, for once, had a plan.

* * *

It was Christmas Eve by the time I finally got everything together. As much as the boys wanted to kill me for making Tumbler cry, the agreed to help me. It was about five o'clock when we began our plan, they were all sitting down to dinner except for me and Spot…um, I mean my reindeer.

We climbed out of Caroline's window onto the fire escape with a suit I bought and some jingle bells we found in the back closet. Once we got out on the roof, I put the suit on.

"Can we hurry dis up, I'm freezin' out here." Spot grumbled shaking a little. I rolled my eyes and pulled on the jacket over my shirt and the fake beard over my mouth. It smelled like moth balls and old flowers..

"Well, how do I look?" I asked holding my arms out.

He looked him up and down once and a smile danced on his lips. "Like a moron." He laughed as I threw my arms down to my sides.

"Just shake your freaking bells." He rolled his eyes as began shaking his hand up and down, causing the bells to ring. "I'll be up to get you later." He nodded and I quickly ran down the stairs.

_**Tumblers P.O.V**_

"Does anybody else hear that?" I asked looking at every one at the table. Most boys shrugged their shoulders and went back to eating there turkey but Caroline looked at me.

"What do you hear sweetie?" she asked.

"I thinks I hear sleigh bells!" the table became silent and every one turned their glances towards me. Caroline smirked from beside me.

"Oh really you do?" she asked, giggling a little. She messed up my hair and took a sip of her milk.

"Caroline, where is Racetrack?"

"I'm not sure, I think he said he was going to see Spot at Tibbys this afternoon and neither one came back." Then I heard footsteps from upstairs.

"Now there are footsteps!" I screamed as I stood up. I ran up the stairs and I heard Caroline and other boys calling my name. I turned into the bunk room and there he was. He was sitting on my bunk in the red suit and all.

"Merry Christmas Tumbler!" I ran over to him and wrapped my arms around him.

**_Racetrack's P.O.V_**

"I knew you were real! I just knew it!" Tumbler sat down on my lap, his arms not leaving my neck. I laughed and hugged him back. Caroline and the other boys were standing the doorway, gasping for air. "Caroline, I knew he was real, I just knew it. Can you believe it! He is really here, on my bed."

"No, honey, I can't believe it either." She had just a hint of sarcasm in her voice as she looked over at me and winked.

I turned my attention back to Tumbler, who was still grinning at me. "Well, Tumbler you have been a very good boy this year."

"I have tried Santa."

"That is why I am going to give you a Christmas wish." His eyes rounded and began to ponder what he wanted. "Anything you want, is yours." Caroline's eyes rounded at this.

"Uh, Santa, I don't think that is a great idea." She mumbled. I just shrugged it off. It was the least I could do for him.

He gasped and then motioned me towards him. I moved a little closer towards him and he smiled and motioned me closer. "I want Racetrack to believe in you again," I looked at him and he was smiling. "He just needs something to make him happy again. Lately he has been so uptight and not his normal self. I really miss him and I was thinking maybe believing in you would help him." He whispered in my ear once more.

My eyes burned a little as I wiped away my tears. I had treated this kid so badly and still, he wanted _me_ to be happy. I wrapped my arms around the small boy and hugged him. We sat there for what seemed like years. But it felt nice. He pulled away and smiled at me and I smiled back. I looked over at Caroline whose eyes were watery and she was nodding her head and smiling. "LOOK SNOW!" Tumbler yelled. He pointed out the window.

Sure enough when we all looked over we saw snow falling. All of the boys ran down the stairs and ran out the door, leaving me and Tumbler and Caroline alone. "Thank you Santa for also bringing the snow."

"You're very welcome, now go out and play with your friends." He squeezed me once more and ran down the stairs and out of the house. Caroline looked at me with her arms crossed. "What?"

"You did good Race, you did real good." She said. She pushed herself off of the wall and walked over to me. She kissed my cheek and turned to leave the room.

"Caroline," she turned around to face me. "Were you mean before because you really were mad at me…or did you just wanna teach me a lesson?"

"What do you think?" she winked and walked out of the room. I chuckled as I climbed up to the roof and grab Spot.

"So, how did it go?" he asked, smoking a cigarette and leaning against the chimney.

"Good, but my job aint done yet." I pulled off the suit and grabbed Spot's wrist. We ran down the fire escape into the alley between the lodging house and another building. We stepped out of the alley way to see every newsie playing in the snow as if they were five years old again. And that's when I saw Caroline, smiling and playing with some of the younger boys. She was finally getting a chance to play. Spot and I exchanged glances and ran to go join the kids.

Spot kissed Caroline's cheek and picked her up, causing her to giggle. There was a snow ball fight going on between the older boys, led by Kid Blink and Mush of course. The youngest boys were trying to make snow angels in the street. It was the perfect sight, one of the ones you can only experience once in your life. Suddenly I felt a tug on my shirt.

I looked down beside me to see Tumbler smiling holding out his hand. I smiled and I took it. We ran off to join every one playing and the whole time I thought to myself…_Can life be any greater?_


End file.
